Multi-purpose catheter apparatus and method of use
First Claim
1. An elongated catheter assembly having at least one adjustable-diameter loop, comprising:
- a distal portion, said distal portion further comprising at least one loop;
means for adjusting a diameter dimension of the at least one loop; and
an electrode section disposed about the at least one loop, said electrode section further comprising a plurality of individually addressable discrete electrically conducting electrode members coupled to at least one elongated electrical conductor adapted for electrical communication with remote circuitry.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
According to the present invention, a catheter having at least one multi-purpose lumen formed through the catheter terminates proximal a relatively complex-shaped distal portion thereof. In one form of this embodiment, the relatively complex-shaped distal portion comprises a looped portion having diagnostic- and/or ablation-type electrodes coupled thereto and an elongated diameter-adjusting member coupled proximal the distal end of the looped portion. The multi-purpose lumen may be used to alternately accommodate a variety of dedicated materials; such as, (i) a guide wire for initial deployment or later repositioning of the catheter, (ii) a volume or flow of a contrast media and the like, (iii) a deployable hollow needle or tube and the like used to biopsy adjacent tissue or dispense a therapeutic agent into a volume of tissue, and (iv) a cooling fluid, such as saline solution and the like dispensed at least during therapeutic tissue ablation procedures.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An elongated catheter assembly having at least one adjustable-diameter loop, comprising:
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a distal portion, said distal portion further comprising at least one loop;
means for adjusting a diameter dimension of the at least one loop; and
an electrode section disposed about the at least one loop, said electrode section further comprising a plurality of individually addressable discrete electrically conducting electrode members coupled to at least one elongated electrical conductor adapted for electrical communication with remote circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 26)
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13. An elongated catheter apparatus, comprising:
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an elongated catheter body;
a helical distal portion coupled to the elongated catheter body;
an elongated diameter-adjusting member disposed within the elongated catheter body and the helical distal portion and having a distal end mechanically coupled proximal to a distal end portion of the helical distal portion so that a diameter dimension of the helical distal portion decreases when tension is applied to the elongated diameter-adjusting member;
at least one electrode mechanically coupled to a portion of the helical distal portion; and
a multi-purpose lumen disposed within said catheter body from a proximal end to a location just proximal the helical distal portion and wherein a longitudinal axis of said lumen is disposed substantially orthogonal to the plane defined by the helical distal portion. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29)
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20. An elongated catheter apparatus 13, further comprising a pull wire coupled to a location proximal the helical distal portion so that when tension is applied to said pull wire the helical distal portion deflects from a longitudinal axis of said intermediate portion.
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30. A method of reaching a desired target through a confined vessel with a deployable electrical catheter having electrodes disposed on an adjustable-diameter loop portion and remotely adjusting the diameter of said loop portion, comprising:
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advancing a delivery catheter containing a deployable electrical catheter assembly through a confined vessel to a location adjacent a desired target, said deployable electrical catheter assembly including a proximal portion, an intermediate portion, and a temporarily collapsed, expandable distal portion;
withdrawing the delivery catheter until at least the temporarily collapsed, expandable distal portion extends from the distal end of said delivery catheter, said temporarily collapsed, expandable distal portion further comprising;
an adjustable-diameter loop portion that in an expanded state is oriented substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the intermediate portion;
means for expanding the adjustable-diameter loop portion from a compact collapsed state to the expanded state;
a loop diameter-adjustment assembly slideably coupled to the proximal portion, the intermediate portion and the distal portion, and wherein a first end of the loop diameter-adjustment assembly connects to a distal part of the adjustable-diameter loop portion and a manually accessible second end; and
at least one electrode coupled to the adjustable-diameter loop portion;
expanding the loop portion to a predetermined curvilinear shape by operation of the means for expanding;
manipulating the loop diameter-adjustment assembly to adjust a diameter dimension of the loop portion to a desired dimension;
advancing the loop portion such that at least a portion of the adjustable-diameter loop portion contacts the desired target; and
activating a remote signal processor or signal generator to respectively diagnose an electrical condition of, or ablate a lesion pattern on, the desired target. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. An adjustable-diameter catheter assembly, comprising:
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a distal portion having at least one longitudinal conduit and at least one arcuate portion, said arcuate portion including a first relative diameter;
a multi-purpose lumen disposed from a proximal portion to a location proximal said distal portion; and
an elongated diameter-adjusting member disposed in the at least one longitudinal conduit and mechanically coupled to said distal portion proximal an end portion of the arcuate portion, wherein tension applied to the elongated diameter-adjusting member causes a decrease in the first relative diameter of the arcuate portion.
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34. A multi-purpose catheter, comprising:
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a catheter body;
a multi-purpose lumen disposed in said catheter body through an intermediate portion thereof;
a port fluidly coupling the multi-purpose lumen disposed at the terminus of the intermediate portion;
a distal portion coupled to the end of the intermediate portion;
wherein said distal portion further comprises;
at least one loop portion; and
at least two electrodes are coupled to said at least one loop portion. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification